Snow Leopard

Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)

Size: 55-165 lbs.

Gestation: 98-103 days

Offspring: 2-5 cubs

Lifespan: up to 15 years

Food: wild goats, sheep, wild boar, small mammals and some birds

Range: Central Asia from northwestern Chine to Tibet and the Himalayas (mountains up to 19,700 feet)

Cool Fact: Snow leopards hunt alone preying upon mammals and birds in a habitat where there is scarcity of food and harsh terrain.  Snow leopards usually stalk their prey, springing upon it, often from 20-50 feet away. Snow leopards are solitary except during the breeding season, January – May. With a thick fur coat cryptically colored to blend into snow and rock, large forepaws that act like snowshoes, short forelimbs, strong chest muscles and a three foot tail, snow leopards are wee adapted to life in the high, rugged mountains. Today, the solitary snow leopard is endangered throughout its range due to prey and habitat loss, and, to its elimination as a livestock pest. The continued black market for its luxurious spotted fur has also put this feline at risk.